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Batteries power all kinds of consumer goods, and their use is rapidly expanding. Seattle plans to ban gas-powered leaf blowers in favor of clean fuel devices. By 2035, all new cars sold in Washington will be electric.
But batteries, even rechargeable ones, don’t last forever. If they’re tossed in the trash, they can start fires and leak toxic chemicals into the water and soil. There’s also increasing demand for the valuable metals and minerals in batteries, such as lithium and cobalt.
Washington state lawmakers are considering rules for keeping these fuel cells out of landfills. Senate Bill 5144 would require producers of batteries and battery-containing products to fund a state-approved stewardship program for collecting and recycling batteries.
SB 5144 would:
- Require battery producers to participate in the collection of smaller batteries used in consumer electronics by 2027.
- By 2029, the collection system would expand to include medium-format, non-rechargeable batteries weighing between 4.4 to 25 pounds, and rechargeable batteries between 11 to 25 pounds.
- The state’s Department of Ecology would need by November to craft preliminary policy recommendations for how to handle electric vehicle batteries.
The measure resonated with Sen. Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island), a member of the Senate’s Environment, Energy and Technology Committee. At her committee’s recent public hearing on the bill, she noted her own challenge with responsibly disposing of dead batteries. The legislation could address a problem many of us face, Wellman said.
“Maybe there is something I can finally do with this bag of batteries,” she said.
“Maybe there is something I can finally do with this bag of batteries.”
There is already a voluntary rechargeable battery recycling program in Washington. The state instructs residents not to put batteries in the trash and to find a drop-off location, which includes transfer stations and retail outlets like Home Depot, Staples and bike shops.
Participating battery manufacturers currently fund Call2Recycle, a nearly 30-year-old nonprofit organization, to manage the collection and logistics of sending the batteries to recycling facilities. The group collected more than 227,000 pounds of batteries in Washington last year. But some producers are “free riders” and don’t contribute to the costs, said Call2Recycle CEO Leo Raudys. And as Wellman demonstrated, the existing program is not sufficiently well-known or promoted.
The new law would add teeth and targets to the effort by:
- requiring all producers of batteries and battery-containing products sold in Washington to participate in the program;
- setting recycling targets of at least 60% for rechargeable batteries and at least 70% for non-rechargeable batteries;
- requiring producers to pay for public education and outreach, and setting goals around promotions;
- establishing requirements that ensure close proximity of drop-off sites for most residents.
These provisions help tackle what Raudys calls one of the hardest things about recycling: the human behavior component. “It’s building awareness and getting people to understand how to recycle,” he said. “You need to make it simple.”
The other big challenge is safely collecting and shipping batteries, particularly as they’re becoming more powerful and there are uncertified manufacturers selling potentially unsafe devices.
“People who do trash hauling and manage waste facilities, they’re continually dealing with fire issues,” Raudys said. His organization, he said, has created a safe solution for shipping.
Batteries collected for recycling are typically sent to facilities where they’re sorted and ground up. More valuable components are reclaimed and reused in manufacturing. There are no battery recycling facilities in the Pacific Northwest. Advocates hope that increased recycling requirements will spur the creation of new sites in underserved areas.
Washington state already has disposal stewardship programs for five types of waste: electronics, mercury-containing light bulbs, photovoltaic solar panels, pharmaceuticals and paint.
Nine states and Washington, D.C., have recycling programs funded by battery producers. California passed its rules in September.
This is the fourth time lawmakers in Washington state have considered battery stewardship legislation.
“What’s interesting about Washington is they’re expanding into bigger battery categories,” Raudys said. “That’s a first.”
Two state business organizations and The Rechargeable Battery Association testified against the original bill at the January hearing. Their criticism included concerns about the legislation’s complexity, and requests to slim down oversight of the battery producers and allow them to charge a fee to consumers to cover costs.
Cities, solid waste utilities and enviro-leaning groups came out in support of the measure.
“It’s a comprehensive bill and we are generally very pleased about everything that is in there,” said Heather Trim, executive director of the nonprofit group Zero Waste Washington.
The Senate committee passed a modified version of the bill, which is scheduled for a hearing with a second committee on Feb. 18. It would then go to the full Senate.
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